Sunday, December 13, 2015

Sikh Broncos fans are denied entry to game 'because of their turbans'

Four Sikh Americans were initially denied entry to watch an NFL game in San Diego because they were wearing turbans.

According to 10 News, Verinder Malhi claims a security guard at Qualcomm Stadium told him and his three friends they had to take their turbans off if they wanted to see the Broncos-Chargers game last Sunday.

The men were wearing bright orange Dastars to support the Broncos and had just driven seven hours from Fresno to watch them play.

Malhi said the men were eventually let inside the stadium, but the security guard told them they could not wear their turbans if they ever returned.

"It's bad, I mean, this is embarrassing for me," Malhi told the news station.

"We are Americans at the end of the day. And we are not supposed to be afraid of fellow Americans."

The men were stopped after another fan called the police on Malhi and his friends, claiming three men wearing turbans had been suspiciously fussing with items in their trunk before leaving the parking lot.

The car was cleared after police brought in a bomb-sniffing dog.

Malhi said his friends had just put a bag in the car when they realized it wouldn't be permitted inside the stadium.

"Everybody is kind of confusing us with the turbans, because what you see on TV is mostly the terrorists, they wear turbans," he said.